An emerging trend in spinal fixation is an increased incidence of adjacent disc degeneration subsequent to a previous fixation or fusion. This subsequent degeneration often requires fixation or fusion of additional levels of the spine. Current techniques require exposure of the entire prior construct to access all of the existing bone fasteners to permit removal of the connecting member spanning the fasteners. The connecting member is removed and replaced with a longer member, such as a rod, to engage an additional bone fastener added at the new levels to be instrumented.
This required exposure of the prior fixation construct complicates and lengthens the surgical procedure for adding the additional level of fixation. The current technique is particularly problematic for a fixation construct spanning three or more vertebral levels. There is a need for a device and method that facilitates the addition of further levels of fixation.